A Love so Strong, A Promise Never Forgotten
by phantomofhogwarts
Summary: A promise made years ago affect 2 of the most unexpected characters...How do I say this? Not entirely canon, though I'm trying to stick as much to the story as I can!
1. PROLOGUE A promise made

**A Love So Strong, A Promise Never Forgotten**

**DISLCAIMER: **I am NOT J.K., though I wish I was, I do not own her charcaters (though some are my own) nor her world, I'm simply borrowing it for a little while. I am not making any profit off this story it is simply for your reading pleasure!

_It is said that when one makes a promise that is born from pure love, it acts as a binding contract. Many a folk consider this to be pure rubbish. You may decide for yourself, but a story like this one makes you wonder…_

A beautiful young girl, of about 19 years of age sat before her dresser brushing her long light-brown almost-curls. She heard the clock strike 11 and got up from her chair. She was wearing a magnificent dress of light blue and white, trimmed with golden threads. She wore a silver headdress with pearls delicately encrusted every few centimeters. Around her neck lay a long silver chain from which hung a silver disk and in the middle of it was encrusted a most magnificent gem which was a powerful violet in color with swirls of lavender. From it emitted a faint lavender glow, which only she could see. In fact the entire necklace itself was visible only to her for it was magical, visible only to the wearer. She walked to her bureau and took out a long black cloak and gently put it around herself raising the hood well over her head. She was sure it would make her nearly invisible in the dark, cold night.

She carefully walked out her manor using the servants' exit, which Justine had left unlocked for her, and silently thanked her. She was so glad to have Justine, her only true friend since childhood. As she passed the garden and walked through the gate she though to herself, _Tonight's the night. I shall miss my family and my beloved Justine but I must be with him, for my heart yearns to have him at my side. But we will come back; I'll tell him we must. After our families see how important we are to them they will understand that we all can live together in harmony. _She arrived at the banks of the river and saw him a few feet away, just stepping of the bridge. She ran to him and nestled in his embrace hearing his heart rapidly beating and knew hers was doing just the same. After 30 seconds they broke apart and he say: "My love, we must go. Dawn is near and we cannot risk a second more." And so they crossed the bridge hand in hand and began their journey.

They had walked for about half an hour when they heard some shouting behind them. They tried to run but it was to late. Suddenly someone seized the girl from behind, pinning her arms to her back and pulling her away from him. "HELEN!" He screamed and tried to run towards her but two strong arms held him back. He tried to squirm himself free but his captor said "No, Lawrence." Lawrence's eyes opened wide as he realized his captor was none other than his cousin Vaughan. Vaughan yelled, "Have you got her, Eavan?" "You know him?" asked Lawrence surprised at his cousin. "But you of all people, you, you despise breaking the rules, especially the one of contact with the human world…why?" "Because you, dearest cousin, broke a rule, and a big one, mind you. There was no other choice."

"Hey, come back here!" Vaughan's head shot up and Lawrence felt his grip on him relax. He took advantage of this and kicked his cousin's shin freeing himself and running toward were he though Helen would be. He spotted her, and she him, and she began to run toward him. They were a few feet away from each other when he detected some movement from the corner of his eye. He turned his head to the right and saw a man reaching for something inside his coat. Seconds later he heard a shot ring trough the air when "NO!" Helen screamed and ran in front of him and he saw her crumple to the ground. "HELEN!" He ran to her to her side and turned her around, her beautiful dress caked with dirt and blood. "Helen…" He whispered softly as tears filled his eyes. Suddenly he heard her gasping for breath. "Oh, Helen I'm so sorry" "no, don't be. I guess it wasn't meant for us to live happily ever after. "Oh, Helen please…don't talk like this…I …you can live…you will live. But there was no hope, for the bullet had hit her squarely in the chest and lodged in the right ventricle of her heart. "Lawrence, take my necklace, this necklace you gave to me as a sign of our love and remember me by it, never forget me." "Oh, I will never forget you," he said as he unclasped the necklace from her neck and held it in his left hand. She slowly reached her hand up and gently touched his cheek with her fingertips. They were cold as ice. Her time was up and they both knew it, but Lawrence did not want to admit it. He held her hand against his cheek and look softly at her brown eyes. "I love you," he said. "I love you too my dearest Lawrence…" and with that her hand fell to her bosom and her eyes closed for the last time.

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Lawrence held her body close to him, the hot tears finally streaming down his face. She was gone and he could not believe it. They had been so close… Suddenly he heard footsteps around him and looked up to see men surrounding him from all sides forming a circle around him and his beloved Helen, leaving him with nowhere to go.

"That's enough," a gruff voice said and Lawrence felt a hard thump on the back of his head. He was being dragged somewhere by a powerful man and the last thing he saw was a man picking up Helen's body.

Hours later he woke up in a dark, damp dungeon, his head throbbing. "Wha…Helen, he whispered as he opened his tightly clenched fist and saw the necklace.

Again he felt tears silently falling down his face as he remembered the events of the night. He gazed at the purple gem as he lost himself in his memories.

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It was a beautiful afternoon. The sun was partly shaded by clouds and a gentle breeze blew. Lawrence was on the other side of the river, taking a walk in a nearby forest. Here he knew he would not be bothered by anyone who knew him, for all the people of his kind did not dare cross the bridge for fear they would be sent to jail or even be sentenced to death. Lawrence, you see, was a wizard. Contact between wizards and humans was strictly forbidden. Lawrence was not one to break rules and did not intend to do anything of the sort when he first set foot in the forest, but he did not know he was to break the greatest rule yet.

That same evening a girl by the name of Helen snuck away from her manor and disappeared into the tangle of branches. She had felt lonely lately, as if something were missing from her life, something she couldn't bear to not have. But what it was she did not know. She didn't know why but ever since the day she looked out her window and saw the dewdrops glistening against the leaves of the trees of the nearby forest she felt drawn to it, as if it somehow held the answer. Ever since the day she had first snuck away to the forests to find what so fervently felt she needed she had not ceased to go visit them daily. The afternoon was perfect since her mother and father were never home at that time, her father dealing with political problems and her mother either shopping in the city simply or wandering about. It was all thanks to Justine, though, that she was able to take her afternoon walks, for the young servant girl always covered for her. She smiled as she thought of Justine, not just a servant, but also her friend since childhood. She was singing a lovely tune she had heard a few days ago in the market when she stopped dead in her tracks. She had heard a noise and saw some rustling across the shallow stream. She gasped as she saw the face of a man appear amongst the bushes and she began to walk backwards but tripped on a raised branch and fell back.

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Lawrence was _tired_. He was tired of seeing the same people, of knowing nothing else of the world but his room and the university at which he studied. That morning he woke up knowing today held some unexpected surprise. Not only he could he feel it but Bratmer _had _mentioned Mars was looking particularly red. He woke up at dawn and opened his window. The forest looked magnificent, streams of sunlight bursting from behind it, reflecting from the many beads of dew that were splattered amongst it. He walked out his room, gently closing the door so it didn't make a sound. "_Lumos_," he said, as he took out his wand. He walked out the building and softly but rapidly ran to the forest. He immersed himself before anyone could see. And there he spent his day, studying his books and reading wonderful stories of potions and spell gone wrong. He ate his lunch, which he conjured up in seconds and took a nice long nap. He woke in the early afternoon. He was gathering his things when he heard a beautiful voice. He put all his things, his wand especially, in his satchel and walked to where the voice came from.

Helen saw that the young man was kind; she could se it in his ebony colored eyes and in the warm smile his thin lips formed. "Yes, you just startled me that's all." She placed her hand in his and immediately a warm feeling spread form her fingers to her entire body. "_This is it_," she thought. _"This is what I've been waiting for, what was destined to happen."_

Lawrence felt a warm feeling rippling through his body as he placed his hand in hers. As he helped the beautiful young maiden up he thought, "_they never fail. Neither my feelings, nor Bratmer's astronomical signs." _

They introduced themselves and decided to finish their walk together. In less than an hour a love of the deepest and most passionate kind bloomed between them. The young couple knew they had to be together forever.

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FOUR DAYS LATER.

"Lawrence, you have not eaten."

"There is no point in life any more, cousin. The only thing that mattered was taken from me. Now I lie in this dungeon as I'm condemned to do, and you expect me to eat?"

"It had to be done! You were breaking a _law. _I know I was to, but did you think we did not mingle with humans at all? How were we supposed to find those witches and wizards born of pure muggle families? But you! You should have never talked to that girl!"

"Just leave me. Nothing you say matters any more." Lawrence watched his cousin place the food inside his cell and walk away. He did not make a move to get it. Seconds later it swarmed with rats. His stomach hurt, his throat was dry. He knew he would not last much longer. For four days he wasted away but he did not care. "Helen, my love. My end is near, I can feel it. It has to be this way. I could not save you, and if I lived the thought would haunt me forever. I know you can hear me. I'm sorry. I wish I could change what happened."

Lawrence grabbed his stomach and lurched forward; the smell of the food nauseated him. He felt his esophagus burning as bile rushed up it and he vomited. He felt so weak.

"I promise. I promise you Helen! As long as those of my blood continue to live, they shall always protect those from yours. They will do upon your descendants as I could not do for you. Lawrence drew upon his last beat of strength. "_PROTECTO ULTIMATUM!" _He shouted as a green beam of light burst from his chest. He placed the necklace in front of it and the small, silver disc sucked up the light. The beam ended suddenly and Lawrence fell to the ground, his last breath escaping his lips.

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Vaughn discovered his cousin's body at noon. He pulled the door open and went inside. He checked his pulse, thought there was no point for he knew he was dead the moment he entered the jailhouse. He felt himself compelled to look at his cousin's right hand. Upon his cousin's hand lay a long, thin silver chain from which hung a silver disc in which a violet gem was embedded. He picked it up and read "Snape shall protect Granger forever" The chain suddenly began to float. It clasped itself around Vaughn's neck. He felt the disc burn against his skin and saw it left a white circle squarely in his chest and immediately Lawrence's last moments flashed through his mind.

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And so the deep connection between the House of Snape and House of Granger began. A connection that would last an eternity, for a spell of this nature could never be broken.


	2. The girl he was bound to protect

CHAPTER 1 – The girl he was bound to protect

**Disclaimer:** IM J.K. ROWLING! YEA RIGHT! In my dreams...seriously if you believed that then you need to get a checkup at St. Mungo's! Anyway...enjoy chapter 1!

Severus Snape woke with a start. "Blasted necklace!", he thought as he  
felt the silver disc grow hot against his skin. An image of Potter, Weasly and Granger approaching Hagrid's hut flashed through his mind. A threshal was walking from the forbidden forest toward them, probably because it smelled the blood on Weasly. He sneered as he remembered the scene in his classroom earlier that day in which Weasly spilled his messed up potion all over his front, causing his fingers and forearms to burst up in boils. He was glad the charm had cooled; it meant the trio was safely inside Hagrid's. It was a miracle he had not gone insane from all those times the  
necklace had warned him of impending danger of the Granger girl. He remembered the day that his uncle had handed him the enchanted charm. Humph! More like cursed! Although it was nothing like the dark mark, his other curse, his much more dangerous curse.

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He remembered every detail of the day he had taken the Dark Mark. He had been 18 years old. It seemed like the best decision he could have made at the time. The Dark Lord understood him, had gone through a rough child hood as well, receiving no love from anyone, being accepted by no one. Well, his mother had loved him but was to afraid to show affection to her son, always fearing his father. He kept her secluded, ordered her around, forbid her to have a life. She was nothing but his slave. Severus had been an accident he supposed, an accident his father used to his advantage, explaining off his wife's absence from the world by saying she died after giving birth. But in reality she remained locked  
up in the Snape manor, serving his father, until the day he killed her. He had not intended to, of course, but his father was nothing more than a drunk violent man who beat his mother every chance he got, sometimes even beating him. It was on one of those nights in which he came home in a drunken stupor that he had given his mother such a violent beating that he had managed to suck from her the little life she had left. His father didn't even realize she was died until the following morning. He buried her in the backyard of the manor, without even putting a stone to mark her grave. It was then that Severus had known he could feel nothing but hate, for there was to much cruelty in the world.

His father died two days after due to  
overdose. He had been eleven. I t was then his uncle took him as he  
now was his guardian. He was only there for one summer, a summer in  
which he didn't see much of his uncle, a summer which he spent in his  
uncle's library poring over all sorts of magical books and potions  
journals. And then he was off to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and  
Wizardry, glad to be away from the world in which he had suffered so  
much. But, Hogwarts had not been for him the wonderful experience it should  
have been. Sure, it was great to study magic but he had no friends, again he was alone. No one talked to him except for Potter and his gang, who made fun of him whenever he crossed their paths.

When he was nearing 17 years of age he had tried to go to Dumbledore but the great wizard did not seem to understand him as he had hoped he would. Then again, after years of having no one, it was hard for him to open up to anyone, no matter how great. So he secluded himself once more, spending his free time reading books from the library on his four-poster bed, becoming particularly interested in the dark arts, especially after hearing of a man who called himself Lord Voldemort, who was becoming quite powerful. In that year he indulged himself in learning all he could of the dark arts and Lord Voldemort. On the day he turned 18, a couple of months before his graduation from Hogwarts, he took the dark mark. He did it because Lord Voldemort seemed to understand him, what with their childhoods being similarly deprived of love. Finally he had someone who understood him! Finally someone he could share his pain with! So he was loyal to the Dark Lord, serving him as best he could, wanting to make him proud. He remembered the day when Voldemort himself taught him the wonders of Legimilency and the powers of Occlumency. It had been 7 months after he had joined the Dark Lord, and he felt privileged, for the Dark Lord had shared one of his most powerful secrets with him, something he knew no other Death Eater knew. He knew that the knowledge he knew held was quite powerful. He could get into practically anyone's mind and he could block enemies from his. He did not know then just how much he would need this newly acquired power and how important to his safety it would become.

Shortly after attaining his new skill his uncle had sent for him. The man was dying and apparently he needed to share something of high importance with him. So he found himself apparating at his uncle's bedside. It was then when his uncle had given him the necklace. He remembered his uncle's words clearly. "Severus, unclasp the necklace I'm wearing." He did as he was told, as odd and wholly annoying as this request was (he called giving him some flimsy charm a matter of utter importance?), the man _had_ shown him compassion toward him and taken him in that summer before he started at Hogwarts. "Severus, there is a binding spell on this family. Long ago one of our ancestors watched his beloved die in front of him, killed by one of herown kin. He could not bear the fact that he couldn't protect her, that he couldn't save her. So he cast a spell upon all his descendants. We are to protects all his beloved descendants as he couldn't protect her." He turned the disc over, reading the inscription. '_Snape shall protect Granger forever.' " _So it is Grangers we are to protect." "Yes Severus, there is no way to avoid it. Our ancestor, Lawrence, used _Protecto Utlimatum" _His eyes widened as he heard what his uncle had said. "Protecto ultimatum,"he whispered. Of course he knew what it was but had never heard of any witch or wizard that had used it. And now to find out that his own ancestor…that he was bound to protect some stranger, by the name of Granger…."Uncle…"he began to say, but he noticed then that his uncle had stopped breathing. "Rest in peace," he had said as he put the sheet over his head. He turned to leave but felt pulled back by an invisible force. He turned around and saw he had left the necklace on the nightstand. He picked it up and felt it levitate out of his hand; it started to glow purple and began to float toward him. Without warning it clasped itself around his neck. He doubled over and let out a low hiss as the disc burned against his bare chest. The last moments of his ancestor's life flashed before his eyes an then he blacked out.

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He had awoken a short time later, in which he apparated himself unto his bed, clutching his chest. "How annoyingly bothersome!" he had thought, "something burning my skin like that with no warning." Of course, the Dark Mark did the same thing, but at least that had been of his own volition.

So he continued serving the Dark Lord, but the month after he had gotten the charm proved to be quite difficult. He felt uneasy around the Dark Lord, knowing that if he found out that he was bound to protect a muggle, or worse, possibly a mudblood, the Dark Lord would become infuriated, and would probably kill him.

But the Dark Lord knew everything and although he had mastered Occlumency his master knew that he  
was hiding something. That became quite obvious when the Dark Lord attacked a crowd of witches and  
wizards in Diagon Alley, along with a handful of Death Eaters, he among them. He got injured badly  
and the Dark Lord abandoned him, left him to die, along with two other injured Death Eaters

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He awoke in a place that was all too familiar. He was in the hospital wing at Hogwarts.  
He tried to sit up but did it a little to fats and fell back down, grabbing his abdomen as he felt  
a sharp pain and the blood oozing out of the bandage.  
" Ah, Severus you are awake."  
" Professor! You, why am I here? I do not understand sir, after I had, well I joined…" " Do you see now why I regret you ever joined Voldemort? He cares only for himself and his power. His Death Eaters mean nothing to him."  
" It is because of this charm sir, he knew I was hiding something, you see there is a curse on my family, we are bound to…" " It is not a curse, Severus, to protect a loved one. Although it happened long ago, a love like that is everlasting. It is powerful. And it is not why Voldemort abandoned you. The man knows not of love, therefore knows nothing of this enchantment. He left you because, as I said, Voldemort cares for no one but himself. You seemed weak, so he left you to die. No doubt if you return he will act as if he had never left you and of course, will expect you  
to worship the ground he walks on."  
" Of course. But sir you know of this cur...enchantment?"  
" Yes, my boy, I knew when I heard of your uncle's poor health you would soon acquire the charm, and of course, be bound by the spell. Now, I suppose you are wondering why you have not been 'called' to a Granger's side in all of these five months. It seems the person who you are to protect is not born yet. It seems that there is more to the enchantment that you saw in the  
flashes of Lawrence's last moments. I personally helped your uncle when he inherited the charm. He was a friend of my brother Aberforth and he asked me the favor. During the time I was with your uncle we found out a great deal about this spell that is upon your family." He had simply stared at Dumbledore, digesting all he said. So the old man knew all about the curse! Far more than he knew, that was for sure.

" Now, my boy, if you wish, you can rejoin our side. There is an Order, the Order of the Phoenix, who fights against Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Before you say anything, I want to let you know that you are ready. Your age does not matter, although you would be the youngest member of the Order, you are more qualified than any of us, having worked for, and suffered for Voldemort himself. Two, I understand how hard this position is for you. My suggestion is, if you are up to it, my boy, you can go back to Voldemort, but truly be a spy for the Order. It will be difficult, I will not deny, to be a double agent, but I think that if you completely disassociate from the Dark side, your life will be in grave, grave danger. Voldemort does not forgive those who betray him Severus, I am sure you know that."

He had thought long and hard. It did not take him long to figure out what he was going to do. He was going to join Dumbledore and be a spy for the Order. And that's how he lived. He had told the Dark Lord that he had led Dumbledore to believe he would be a spy for the Order but was truly a spy for him. With Occlumency and Dumbledore's help he managed to keep up the charade, though it proved to be quite difficult at times.  
After six months of concentrating just on serving the Order, Dumbledore arranged for him to go to a wizarding college. Dumbledore had gone to the Headmaster of the college, telling him of the " special situation" and set out a plan of how he would attend his classes. He was to apparate into a room that would always be kept empty, and would attend class wearing an invisibility coat, and it was in this way that he mastered in potions, a subject he found fascinating.

By the time he was done with his schooling, Dumbledore had become Headmaster of Hogwarts and he offered him a job as Potions Mater. He accepted, thankful to Dumbledore for being so kind to him. The only thing Dumbledore did not allow was for him to become Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts. He supposed Dumbledore believe it would spark certain thought in his mind, or perhaps he feared that the Dark Lord would try to use him against the students. Either way he knew he would not join the Dark Lord again, he just wished to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts, for the subject still interested him. The Dark Lord however, was pleased. A spy in Hogwarts! Right next to the only one he ever feared! (Though he knew the Dark Lord did not mention this, but everyone one, Death Eater or not, knew.) In the Dark Lord's mind, he was penetrating the enemy right under his nose.

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So that was his life. It was all a routine, at least for a year and a half. Six months after his  
twenty-second birthday, he felt the charm grow hot against his skin. A hospital room flashed in his mind, in it a woman holding a baby. It had big, round, brown eyes and a matt of untidy brown  
hair. 'Hello, my little Hermione' he heard the woman say as the image faded. Immediately he went to Dumbledore. " So you've seen her.' Dumbledore said as he entered his office. The old man did not cease to surprise him. " Yes, sir her name is Hermione Granger, but how did you that she had been born?" " She is a witch, Severus. The minute that a witch or wizard is born the three wizarding schools  
are notified. We send information about our school to the family, in case they wish to send their child to a specific school. But seeing as she is muggle-born she will naturally go here, since it is the closest to her. She probably will think witches are hunchbacked old ladies with green skin and warts until the day she receives her letter.'  
" How am I to protect her, Headmaster, if she doesn't even know of our world?"  
" That, my boy, is for you to decide. However, if you run into trouble protecting the young Granger girl, you may come to me for help."  
" Thank you, Headmaster." And so his knew "adventure" began.

He did not really have much to deal with during the young girl's childhood since she did not get into much trouble. The only time she was really in danger was when she got lost one day near dark and he transfigured a nearby object into a cat leading her along until she got home. This caused him to make the mistake of relaxing, thinking this curse might not be so bad after all. Then, she entered Hogwarts. At first everything was proceeded normally until, of course, Halloween. Of course he felt the charm heating under his robes, and he had intended to save Granger from that troll, but he had to make sure Quirrell did not get away with anything. He had gone to the girl's bathroom as fast as he could but Potter and Weasly bat him to it. Unfortunately she had to go and befriend the two boys, who had a certain disregard for the rules. _Just like Potter and Black_, he thought sourly. Of course they dragged her along and he, of course, had lost quite a number of hours of sleep, because of this. Good thing the girl was smart and could often get her and her friends out of tight situations. There were times, though, in which he could not ignore the warnings the charm gave him. And of course befriending Potter caused her to get caught amidst situations involving the Dark Lord, which were the hardest to work wit, and the  
most painful for him at that, what with the necklace burning against his chest and the Dark Mark charring the skin on his left arm. But of course he had to stand by the Dark Lord, Being a spy was a hard and lonely life but this little incantation" made it much harder. He had tried to find a loophole to it but deep inside he knew, even before he started researching, that an enchantment, a curse, such as this was undoable, a but of an unbreakable vow on is own.

He walked to his storage and grabbed a bottle of Dreamless Sleep Draught, measure out a dose and drank it. Falling asleep once more, he looked forward to a day in which he would deduct house points and terrorize his students.

**A/N: **I am SO sorry it took me, like forever and a day to update! Please, please don't be mad and please bare with me, I have no beta (if you are interested let me know!) I also didn't really pay much attention to proof reading so don't get too mad if i hae horrific errors! For those who reviewed last time thank you THANK YOU! I love you guys!

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A REVIEW BUTTON! plz review!


	3. 2nd year Occurences

CHAPTER 2 – 2nd Year Occurrences

**Disclaimer: **All Harry Potter characters and the HP world belong to JK….I'm not even going to try to pretend I'm her…I wish, if I was would I be sitting here writing a fanfic with the seventh book to write and millions to spend?

Hermione lay in the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey had just unpetrified her using the remedy made using the Mandrake roots. She was happy the horror was over, for she knew Harry and Ron had found the paper she had been holding and had figured out all about the basilisk. But there was something that troubled her. She looked at the paper in her hand and read once more "_I'm glad you're all right." _There was no signature but she recognized the handwriting right away, and even if she hadn't she hadn't, she knew immediately who it was from. She remembered the events of that night perfectly.

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Flashback 

Harry shouted and both she and Ron jumped away from him in alarm. "That voice" said Harry, looking over his shoulder. "I just heard it again – didn't you? Ron shook his head, wide eyed. She however, clapped a hand to her forehead.

"Harry – I think I've just understood something! I've got to go to the library!" And she sprinted away, up the stairs, ran into the library and, Ignoring Madam Pince's disapproving look she made her way through students and into the 10th aisle, knowing the book she was looking for would be there. Her eyes frantically scanned the shelves, _come on, come on...AHA!_ " She grabbed the very old, very large book and flipped to the index, searching breathlessly. _Here it is!_ Triumph filled her eyes as she read, _Of the many fearsome beasts and monsters that roam our land, there is none more curious or more deadly than the Basilisk…_she walked over to Madam Pince's desk, annoyed at the long line of students. Frustration filled her, the minutes seemed like hours, she knew that every second that passed was a threat to the inhabitants of the school and Harry had just hear the voice…

Finally it washer turn. She checked out the book, tucked it underneath her arm and hurried to the common room as fast as she could, she had to tell Harry and Ron! But she stooped as she saw Penelope Clearwater, the Ravenclaw prefect, about to round a corner. "Wait, wait Penelope, I think…um, do you have a mirror?" Penelope looked at her puzzled, but fished one out of her bag. Hermione started to turn around so she could bring the mirror to her face and check to see if the monster was around the corner when…

" Miss Granger! Miss Clearwater! Don't Move! Don't do anything!"

Snape was behind them! Was he going to harm them? Could _he _be he heir of Slytherin?

"Do _not _turn around, neither of you, the monster will harm you if you look at it, you mustn't turn around!"

Hermione did as she was told. She looked at Penelope and could tell the poor girl was in a state of panic. As if she wasn't! She knew what would happen if she looked the basilisk in the eye! She heard Snape let out a low hiss of pain and – "NO! Don't look at that mi…" but reflexively, she and Penelope glanced at the mirror. She saw a pair of big yellow eyes and felt her body grow tense and cold.

_End Of Flashback_

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Hermione was c_onfused_! All right, she knew that although Snape was a greasy git, he wasn't about to let two students die. She understood his trying to help Penelope and her and she could even accept the fact that he was glad she had lived, after all, he _had _risked his life to try and help them. What she could _not _understand was why the man had sent her a _letter! _All right, all right so it was only a scrap of parchment with a handful of words scribbled on it, but still this was Professor _Snape! _Head of Slytherin House! A man who hated Gryffindors! And clearly, am man who hated her! How many times had he called her an insufferable know it all? Ho many times had he unjustly taken House points from her for helping poor Neville?

It didn't make sense. She had been both surprised and shocked when the handsome black raven swooped into the hospital wing and dropped the rolled up scrap of parchment on her lap She had tried to offer it her goblet, to thank the elegant bird for its delivery as she had with the owls from her friends, but the bird left as quickly s it came.

Was it possible he did not hate her? After all the raven had only given her a note and not Penelope. That was what puzzled her the most. Why had he not sent Penelope a message? Was he not glad _she _was safe? Did he not like Penelope? But she knew there was no female student Snape liked less than her. Perhaps it was her good grades. Perhaps Dumbledore had ordered him to. Perhaps he was really Brad Pitt in disguise! She laughed at the last thought. She sighed and began to crumple the scrap up but stopped. This was the first kind thing Snape had said to her, well written anyway, and most likely would be the _only _thing and she would like to keep it. She folded it neatly and put it next to her treats and get well cards and made a not to not tell Harry or Ron anything about Snape trying to save her or the note. They would probably burn it.

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Snape watched as his raven entered through the window and threw her a piece of meat from his untouched meal. He had sent her a letter! A letter! How could he, Head Of Slytherin House, a man known for hating Gryffindors, the man who had called the girl an insufferable know it all hundreds of times and, despite her fully correct answers and great achievements, hadn't granted her as much as a point have sent her a letter? He knew she had received it Eileen had never failed to deliver anything. But perhaps Madam Pomfrey had not yet distributed the potion he himself had helped make, maybe he could slip into the hospital wing and snatch the letter before the girl had a chance to see it…

He closed his eyed and was transported back to the corridor on that night…

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_Flashback_

He was doing his rounds patrolling the corridors when he felt a growing warmth against his chest. An image of Miss Granger hurrying from the library and going up to another young lady, the Ravenclaw prefect he recalled who was in his sixth year potion class. Something slithered behind them and the charm grew immediately hotter. 'The monster!" he thought, alarmed. He went into the nearest room and flooed himself to the closest classroom to the girls. He walked out just in time to hear Miss Granger asking the girl, Miss Clearwater, for a mirror. Out of the corner of his eye he saw movement to his right and immediately shut his eyes, knowing what would happen if he looked at the giant serpent in the ye. Thankfully the charm allowed him to see what was going on, a perfect picture in his head..

He saw the girl raise the mirror to her face and shouted at her to stop. The girls froze, he felt the snake sliding past him and come into view now that it was just behind the girls and suddenly his left arm was on fire, pain soaring through his body, radiating from the Dark Mark. He clutched his arm and le tout a low hiss of pain when he suddenly felt another burning sensation on his chest. He concentrated on the image in his head and saw Miss Granger's and, of course, Miss Clearwater's eyes move to the mirror. "NO, don't look at that mi…" but he was cut short by the thunk of their bodies on the floor.

_End of Flashback_

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_

He sat at his table, his eyes now open but he was still in a trance which was suddenly interrupted by a knock on the door. "May I come in, Severus?"

"Yes Headmaster, of course."

" You were not at dinner tonight Severus. We were going to congratulate you along with Madam Pomfrey and Professor Sprout for your successful potion.

"So Miss Gra…those who were petrified are awake then?"

"Yes, Severus, they are and Miss Granger is quite well, I am pleased to inform you."

He curtly nodded but still stared ahead.

"something is bothering you my boy."

"Yes Headmaster. "He said and shifted uncomfortably when he noticed the smile displayed on Dumbledore's lips. "I seem to have a certain - _concern _for Miss Granger's well being. Don't say it is the spell, Albus, for you know it is more than that."

"Worry, my boy, plays in a great deal in your, er, situation. Now tell me Severus, if you were to not feel worry, would you really go about following a 12 year old girl?" Before he had a chance to answer Dumbledore continued. "Of course not Severus, I know you, you have a - tendency, to keep to yourself and if you were to follow a student it would most certainly not be a Gryffindor! _Especially_ not the Gryffindor in question. However, this enchantment requires for you to want to protect the girl, not simply be forced to. Of course, he paused , _love _is the, how can I say this, is the, eh, most _appropriate, _feeling 9for the charm as it is what is was created with. He purposely stopped, his eyes glistening a soft smile hiding underneath his beard, awaiting Severus' response.

A look of horror formed on Snape's face. "Are you saying that this, this…_thing _is going to make me love the girl? Why, there is absolutely no way…I could _never…_

Dumbledore held out his hand and chuckling said, "Now, now Severus, relax! There is no need to panic. Of course the charm does not and will not make you love her, it does not even make you worry, it simply sparks the emotion. That at least is necessary, without it you would see her as just another student. Though there is no need for you to be concerned, she does not know, and I see no reason why she should begin to suspect, as long as you continue being as careful as you have always been."

Well headmaster, as you know the charm warned me of her attack and of course I had to try and save her and she knows it was me.

"So ? You were a professor on duty."

"I am afraid its not that simple. I've just sent the girl a letter saying I'm glad she's all right, instinctively almost – granted I didn't sign it, but she's bound to know, no one else was there and I've sent Eileen, she's seen her before."

"Severus, you did risk your life, she'll understand your concern is simply because of that." And with that, Dumbledore turned and left.

Severus grimaced. He knew what the students thought of him. He encouraged it for Merlin's sake! He thought of the last thing Dumbledore had said. _I'm not so sure Albus. I'm just not sure._

**A/N: **A million apologies for taking forever and a day to update! I've graduated now, no more tests no more stress and one month of freedom until college starts….I'm so sorry guys, I really will try to update as soon as I can! I thank everyone who left mr reviews you are all so kind! I love you guys, thank you! Please review this chapter!


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